Centering means for outboard motors



Nov. 15, 1955 R. w. HlNRlCHS ET AL CENTERING MEANS FOR OUTBOARD MOTORS Filed June 22, 1953 S R .0 N m m United States Patent CENTERING MEANS FOR OUTBOARD MOTORS Ronald w. Hinrichs, Van Nuys, and Mortimer c. Smith, Glendale, Calif.

Application June 22, 1953, Serial No. 363,317 2 Claims. (Cl. 115-18) This invention relates to an improved centering means for outboard motors, and has for one of its principal objects the provision of a device which can be readily applied to practically any outboard motor now on the market, and which, when the motor is installed on a boat, will automatically act to urge the steering mechanism of the motor into a straight line forward position so far as the boat itself is concerned.

It is well-known that in practically all of the outboard motors now in use on boats today, it is necessary for the operator to continue to hold the tiller or steering arm regardless of whether the boat is being steered in a circuitous course or is simply being allowed to proceed forwardly in approximately a straight line. The same also applies to a rearward motion of the boat when the same is being operated in that manner.

This invention contemplates the inclusion of a device into the motor or the steering mechanism which will tend to automatically move the rudder or tiller into a position so that the boat will be urged to proceed directly forwardly (or rearwardly) when the motor is actuated.

One of the important objects of this invention is to eliminate the necessity of the operator of a motor boat to continually keep at least one hand or some part of his body in direct contact with the tiller of the motor and boat combination regardless of whether the same is being steered over a curved path or in a straight line.

A still further important object of the invention is the provision of a simple yet effective means for motor boat engines which, when the tiller or steering mechanism of the boat is left unattended, will automatically steer the boat in a straight line, so long as the engine is running.

Other and further important objects of the invention will be apparent from the disclosures in the accompanying drawings and following specification.

The invention, in a preferred form, is illustrated in the drawings and hereinafter more fully described.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a side elevation partly in section, of a typical outboard motor, showing the same installed at the stern of a boat and with the centering steering means of this invention applied thereto.

Figure 2 is an enlarged section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Figure 3 is also an enlarged section showing a slightly modified form of the invention.

Figure 4 illustrates a still further form of the invention.

Figure 5 is a detail view partly in section, showing another modification of the improved centering device for outboard motors.

As shown in the drawings:

The reference numeral indicates generally an outboard motor having a gas tank and engine compartment 12, a steering post or tiller 14, a propeller 18 and a rudder 20.

The same is shown as attached to the stern of a boat 22 by means of the usual hinged clamping element 24, which includes a screw-threaded clamping means 26 and a hinge pin or pivot 28.

The automatic centering device of this invention is illustrated in the broken away section of Figure l, and is shown in enlarged detail in Figure 2.

Here the corresponding portion of the clamping device is indicated at 24, and this includes an integral bifurcation 30.

The tube 32 which supports the rudder 20 is located between the arms 30, and in this tube is positioned the drive shaft 34 for the propeller 18.

A cam 36 is clamped on to the tube 32 at a point adjacent the lower outer end of theboat clamping structure 24, and this cam has high portions at its extremities with its lowermost portion medially therebetween.

The cam element 36 is adapted to act against a roller 40 positioned in a bracket or a holder 42 which is mounted in a recess in the clamping frame 24.

The force of the moving propeller is applied through the tube 32 and its cam 36 directly against the roller 40 in the bracket 42 in the clamp or holder 24. This is regardless of the angle of the tiller 14 or rudder 20. The bifurcations 30 maintain the tube 32 in desired posi tion in the clamp 24 at all times.

If the tiller 14 is released, or if holding pressure on it is lessened, the action of the cam 36 will tend to move the tube 32 on the motor frame 10 in line with the shortest distance between the center of the drive shaft 34 and the roller 40, thereby tending to maintain the forward motion of the boat in a straight line as distinguished from any deviation from such a line which might be caused by right or left hand movement of the tiller 40.

In Figure 3, a modified form of the invention is illustrated, wherein the drive shaft of the motor is at 34, the containing tube therefor is indicated by the reference numeral 32, and a clamp 46 is fitted around the tube 32. The clamp includes a bracket 48 which supports a roller 50, and this roller operates against a ring 52 which is fitted into the supporting clamp 24. The outer periphery of the ring 52 is positioned between the center of movement of the tiller 14 and the arc in which the center of the driving shaft 34 moves. This eccentricity urges the roller 50 into a position to provide a forward or backward straight line movement of the boat operated by the outboard motor 10.

In Figure 4, a further modification is illustrated, wherein the tube 32 contains the drive shaft 34 of the motor and a clamp 46 is provided, the same as the correspond ing clamp shown in Figure 3. This also includes a bracket 48 and a roller 50. However, this roller operates against the interior of a cam element 53 positioned in a ring 54, which ring is concentric with the shaft 34 and tube 32. Here again, the resultant action is the same, in that the driving force exerted by the propeller 18 will always tend to move the associated elements into a straight line forward boat propelling relationship.

A still further modification is illustrated in Figure 5, wherein the supporting bracket 60 for the motor is positioned about a hinge pin 62 and includes a shaft 64 mounted in bifurcations 66 of the support 60. The tube 32 for the propeller shaft is provided with an extension 68 which fits into the space between the bifurcations 66 and bearings 70 are fitted into the upper and lower portions of the extension 68. An offset cam 72 is mounted on the shaft 64 and fitted into the lower bearing 70, whereby the same straight line forward driving relationship will be normally maintained between the motor and its craft.

It will be evident that herein is provided a relatively simple and quite inexpensive attachment for outboard motors, whereby the same will always be constrained to drive the boat to which it is attached in a forward direction. The tiller or rudder is operated in the same manner as heretofore, and the boat'will be guided accordingly so long as the operator maintains his hold on the tiller. Any release of the tiller will automatically return the craft to a straight line forward or rearward position, which is invaluable in many cases and particularly in emergencies.

We are aware that many changes may be made and numerous details of construction varied throughout a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and we therefore do not propose limiting the patent granted hereon otherwise than as necessitated by the prior art.

We claim as our invention:

1. A centering means for outboard motors having a housing for a driving shaft, comprising a cam element and a contacting roller, and means for mounting said I v 4 cam and roller combination between the driving shaft of the motor and the support which positions the motor on its boat, the cam element being fixed on the housing for the driving shaft and the roller being fixed on the motor support, the cam element having two high portions and an intermediate low portion.

2. A device as described in claim 1, wherein bifurcated extensions are provided on the motor support partially surrounding the drive shaft housing and encompassing the cam.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,896,234 Hathorn Feb. 7, 1933 2,118,209 Linthwaite May 24, 1938 2,118,928 Kissel May 31, 1938 2,560,726 Jones July 17, 1951 

